3d printing and fabrication

Abstract

A modified approach for coral restoration by merging 3D printing and molding techniques is presented. This is achieved by 3D scanning live coral specimens, retrieved from sea dives, to obtain a CAD model of the complete coral 3D construction with complex geometries. Select areas of the model are flattened to create a 2D base for micro-fragment adhesion. From the CAD models, disclosed embodiments propose two methods of fabrication. Method A consists of 3D printing the CAD models with commercial thermoplastic materials to create a negative mold, subsequently loaded with synthesized Calcium Carbonate Photoinitiated (CCP) ink to form an eco-friendly coral skeleton. Method B uses syringe-based extrusion 3D printing to directly print a coral skeleton with CCP ink. Both methods are evaluated as a combined proof-of-concept process, 3D CoraPrint, for coral gardening and restoration and providing details required for mimicking coral and bone 3D structures for implantation in bone grafting applications.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus for a subject comprising: a fabrication of a digital scan of the subject and having a seeded micro-fragment of the subject attached thereto. 
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the fabrication is 3D printed. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the 3D printed fabrication comprises a thermoplastic filament. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the fabrication is molded. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the subject is a clonal organism. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the clonal organism is a marine invertebrate. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the marine invertebrate is a coral. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the coral is selected from the group consisting of  Acroporidae, Acropora,  and  Acropora hemprichh.    
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the subject is selected from the group consisting of a human, a mammal, a reptile, a bird, a fish, an amphibian, and an invertebrate. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the fabrication is cured under UV or visible light. 
     
     
         11 . A method of manufacturing a scaffold for a subject comprising:
 scanning the subject to form a digital model of the subject;   modifying a digital geometry of the digital model to form a modified digital model;   fabricating the modified digital model to form a scaffold; and   seeding a micro-fragment of the subject to the scaffold.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the scaffold is cured under UV or visible light. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the modifying step comprises selecting an area of the digital model to be flattened to form the modified digital model and wherein the modified digital model is a two dimensional (2D) base for micro-fragment adhesion. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the fabrication step comprises a 3D printing with a thermoplastic filament to form a mold and filling the mold with an ink. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the 3D printing is submerged with the thermoplastic filament in a liquid silicon. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the thermoplastic filament comprises a polylactic acid (PLA). 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the fabrication step comprises a direct 3D printing with a syringe-based Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) and an ink. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the seeding step comprises adding cells on the scaffold to produce surfaces for bone grafting. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the ink is a calcium carbonate photoinitiated (CCP) ink. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the CCP ink comprises a calcium carbonate and a resin. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the calcium carbonate:resin has an average ratio of 9:1 to 1:1. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the calcium carbonate:resin has an average ratio of 7:3. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein a constitution of the CCP ink consists of 20-75% resin. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the calcium carbonate is in a range of approximately to the resin. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the constitution of CCP ink comprises minerals. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the minerals are selected from the group consisting of magnesium, zinc, and iron oxide. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the ink is a calcium phosphate paste (CPP). 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein a constitution of the CPP consists of 20-75% resin. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the calcium phosphate is in a range of approximately 10-75% to the resin. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the constitution of CPP comprises minerals. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the minerals are selected from the group consisting of magnesium, zinc, and iron oxide. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the subject is a clonal organism. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the clonal organism is a marine invertebrate. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the marine invertebrate is a coral. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the coral is selected from the group consisting of  Acroporidae, Acropora,  and  Acropora hempricha.    
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the subject is selected from the group consisting of a human, a mammal, a reptile, a bird, a fish, an amphibian, and an invertebrate. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the mold is recyclable at least 10 times.